Restless Night
by MaplePucks
Summary: After another failed attempt to catch Pikachu, Team Rocket find themselves bunking in an abandoned cabin. James tosses and turns, the night passing without much rest. What if they never catch that Pokemon? What if the Boss splits up the Team? The End of Team Rocket is nearing, he just knows it. *Fluff, comfort, Rocketshipping*


**A/N  
Well hello there all my fellow Rocketshippers! Been a long time for one of these fics, eh? I was recently watching the old Pokemon series and got to thinking how much I miss writing Jessie and James. And Meowth too. So here is a cute little fluff fic for you! **

**Enjoy! Comments are awesome!**

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Moonlight shone through the wooden bars of the windows, into the little shack they had found. Usually they were able to find nice little shelters that people weren't occupying at the time. Like they had gone on a vacation and just were not at home. This one though, this one seemed abandoned. It didn't happen off but when it did, it put the Team in even worst spirits. Particularly if they had just been blasted off again.

This was one of those times.

Out in the middle of nowhere, this shack had little to offer. No running water to make tea, no electricity to heat food. Of which there was none, the food cupboards were dusty and filled with spider webs. The floor had a thick layer of dust as well and it cracked and creaked as if any moment it would cave in on them if they stepped wrong. It was a miserable place but it was home for the time being. And they would just have to make do.

It was times like these that made James actually miss that old mansion he had grown up in. It was only for a fleeting second though, as the thought of Jessibelle usually quickly followed it.

He sighed in his sleep bag, that luckily they always carried with them because the shack had nary a bed to speak of besides a moldy old kotatsu, and rolled over to lay of his stomach. His partners-in-crime, Jessie and Meowth, seemed to be sleeping just fine in this place while he lay there tossing and turning. How did they do it? They had just failed, AGAIN at catching that stubborn old Pikachu, the boss would be furious with them. How were the other two sleeping like babies?!

After a few minutes of lying there, trying to lull himself to sleep, James heaved a sigh and looked over to Jessie. He propped himself up on his elbows and reached over to shake her awake.

"Jessie?" He asked quietly, trying not to disturb Meowth as well. The fiery red-head groaned and cracked one blue eye open, just to glare at him.

"I am NOT walking you outside to use the bathroom again, James. Wake Meowth up if you really need to go." She replied, ducking down into her sleeping bag. The pink cap that usually kept her hair together had gone missing so her hair was lose, messy and a lot of it stuck out of the sleeping bag. It was all James could see of her.

Though that wasn't the reason he had decided to wake her, James nodded. "Ok, I'm sorry, Jessie." But before he even finished his sentence, she was snoring again. It was a cute snore, he thought, but one that said she didn't want to be disturbed again. He rolled over to turn to Meowth and dared to reach over.

Before his hand could even touch the Cat-Pokemon, he heard a growl come from him. "Jimmy Boy, don't ya even think about it. I'm cat-napping. Go by youself." Meowth said, not looking at him once.

"But, Meowth," James started, his voice whining a little bit. A claw was flicked out very quickly.

"I've been known ta do Fury Swipes in my sleep you know."

James drew back his hand and rolled back over. He knew better then to mess with Meowth when he was sleeping. Though he wished one of his team mates would have stayed up. How was he the only one not sleeping. He was jealous of the other two. Maybe if he tried to clear his head of those worrisome, pesky thoughts he was having, he could sleep just like them. Perhaps that was how they did it. Forgot about catching Pikachu and just slept. He could do that, couldn't he? Even though his body still tingled with the effects of the electric shock, it would be easy to forget the Rodent-Pokemon that his future depended on catching.

Wouldn't it?

An hour ticked by, James watched the moon pass over them through the tiny window. He wasn't sure what time of night it was. Sometime in the middle, he supposed. It didn't matter. Dawn could creep up on him and he would still be awake. No matter what he tried, he could not clear his head. One thought kept racing through, over and over again. It was a terrifying thought, a worrying thought. He hated that he had become a person to let that sort of thing keep him up at night but he couldn't help it. Every time his eyes started to close, it would pop up. And as they do, it produced a wide variety of scenarios, all of them terrible, for him to think through.

The worse part about all of the visions he was having were that they were absolutely plausible and that scared him.

After another hour, James still couldn't find his way to dreamland and rolled over, facing Jessie again. He knew she didn't want to be disturbed but he couldn't help himself. He had to know.

"Jessie? Jessie, please wake up for a moment." He said, shaking her shoulders again. She begrudgingly groaned and turned over to face him.

"This had better be VERY important, James." Jessie replied, sitting up on her elbows to glare at him. He swallowed hard, slightly intimidated as always but he didn't back down from his friend.

"It's just, I can't sleep, Jessie. I keep think about that Pikachu. What if we never catch him?"

She sat up more and her gazed hardened. "What do you mean by that? We HAVE to catch that Rodent-Pokemon. You know what the Boss will do to us if we don't." She stated, matter of factly. James' heart sank at that and he looked down, playing with a loose string on his sleeping bag.

"That's just it. I don't know what the Boss will do to us. Has he ever really said what will happen if we don't?" He asked.

For a moment, Jessie opened her mouth to quickly reply but then shut it just as quickly. Her gaze softened considerably and James thought she might actually look a little worried. A long few moments passed before she frowned at him.

"You're right. I really don't think the Boss has ever said what he would do if we don't bring him that Pikachu." She said, uncertainly on her face. Lavender hair completely covered James' face as he hung his head down.

"That's what I'm worried about." He whispered quietly.

"James?" She asked, and he felt a gentle hand be placed on his shoulder. It was hard but he tried not to let the tears show. Jessie might make fun of him for that, despite that situation.

"Team Rocket means my freedom. From both my parents and Jessibelle. It means freedom to live my life the way I want to. And being in Team Rocket means I can live my life with you guys as well. Without Team Rocket, I'd be lonely and depressed. Probably married and rich but lonely and depressed..." He rambled, not bothering to take a breath as he continued on and on at that pace.

And Jessie seemed was going to let him go on like that for a few minutes before she gripped his shoulder tightly. "James, what are you going on about?" She asked and at that, James looked up to her, staring into those lovely blue eyes.

"What if the Boss forces Team Rocket to split up? If he makes us join different teams?! I can't stand the thought of being without you and Meowth! And I just know we will be in different regions. He will force me to go to Johto and you will have to stay here in Kanto! Poor Meowth will be force to live in Mt. Moon. Our days of Preparing trouble are over, I just know it." He frowned.

Jessie actually rolled her eyes at him, he couldn't believe it. He was pouring out his heart to his best friend, whom he was sure he was going to be separated from and she had the audacity to roll her eyes?! As if it didn't matter?! He was at a lost for words over that and looked down again, covering his head with his sleeping bag. She didn't care. That's how she and Meowth were able to sleep through the night. Neither of them cared about being separated.

Very slowly and gently, the sleeping bag was pulled away from his face and Jessie was right over top of him. Now she was smiling. He was confused even more. Did the thought of being separated actually make her happy? But before he could speak, she cupped the side of his face.

"Do you remember what I told you on the S.S Anne a few months ago when you wanted to stay behind?" She asked softly, stroking his cheek with her thumb. James loved the feeling of tenderness from the usual stone willed woman. He nodded.

"You told me you wouldn't leave me." He replied in a whisper.

"What makes you think now is any different?"

"But, Jessie, if the Boss forces us-"

She placed a finger on his lips to silence him. "I don't care what the Boss says. Even if he did break up the Team. I'll start my own crime syndicate. With you as my partner, and Meowth too, for what he's worth." She smiled as the Cat-Pokemon rolled over to face the other way. James looked at her seriously.

"You really mean that? We will be a Team, forever?" He asked one more time. Jessie leaned in a lot closer, her nose touching his.

"I won't leave you, James. I won't ever abandon you. I promise." Jessie said and then kissed him quickly before returning to her sleeping bag. He watched her cover her head and he smiled.

"Goodnight, Jessie. Thank you for always being there." He whispered before curling up in his own sleeping bag. She grunted, and snorted with little bit of laughter.

"Goodnight, James. You better rest up! I'm waking you early tomorrow morning. I don't want us to lose those stupid Twerp's trail." Jessie replied.

For the rest of the night, James slept as soundly as Jessie and Meowth.


End file.
